The Honolulu City Council on Wednesday approved payment of up to $10,000 to a private law firm to represent former Police Chief Louis Kealoha in yet another lawsuit against both him and the city.
In December the Council had authorized up to $150,000 be paid to three law firms to represent Kealoha in four other civil cases that name him (in his capacity as chief) and the city.
Resolution 17-75, approved Wednesday, states Chung & Ikehara ALC is being hired to act as special deputy corporation counsel to represent Kealoha in the case Kaahu v. City and County of Honolulu as a result of the conflict of interest arising from the ongoing lawsuit filed by the chief and his wife, Katherine Kealoha, against former Ethics Commission Executive Director Chuck Totto, the commission and the city.
(Chung & Ikehara was one of the three law firms the Council authorized for payment in December in a separate case.)
“The Department of Corporation Counsel attempted to, but was unable to obtain a waiver of said potential conflict” from Kealoha, the resolution said. To represent Kealoha “is otherwise impractical due to the Totto lawsuit and communication issues arising out of that lawsuit,” the resolution said.
The Kealohas’ lawsuit against the city was filed in the summer and alleges the commission, under Totto’s authority, unfairly and without justification targeted them. The Kealohas are separately being investigated by federal authorities, and Louis Kealoha agreed to retire, effective March 1, after being informed by federal authorities that he was a target of an investigation.
The Kaahu lawsuit alleges that in August 2012 police officers used excessive force against Jonah Kaahu near the Giovanni Shrimp Truck in Haleiwa.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Kaahu by Myles Breiner, who is now representing Louis and Katherine Kealoha in the federal proceedings against them.
Breiner has since withdrawn as Kaahu’s attorney. In January a federal judge disqualified Breiner from representing two other parties in an ongoing lawsuit against HPD.
